Inari zushi is a traditional Japanese fast food that is named after an Inari shirine
Inari zushi is a casual sushi which is commonly made at home, not at sushi restaurants. Abura-age (deep fried tofu skin) is boiled with fish broth, soy sauce and sugar, and is carefully cut in half- leaving one open end per piece. It is opened like a pocket and a small ball of sushi rice with minced vegetables and white sesame is stuffed into it. The sweet and flavorful taste from abura-age and the sour flavor of the rice go well. It is easy to bring with you in a lunch box.
An inari shrine is a shinto shrine that worships god inari. It was founded in fushimi-unari in Kyoto in A.D.711, and spread throughout Japan. Kitsune (fox) is a symbol of an inari shrine as a messenger from the god. As kitsune is said to like abura-age in Japan, the sushi is called “inari zushi”. It is called “Kitsune zushi” as well.
Soba inari is an another type of a dish with abura-age. One can eat soba noodles by hands and enjoy the rich dashi in abura-age with soba.
